“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NIV)

Jesus is the only way

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12 ESV)

He’s full of grace and truth!

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

His Word is truth!

“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17)

You were sealed by the Holy Spirit!

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14)

We are brought fourth by the word of truth!

“Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.” (James 1:18)

Therefore…

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matt. 7:13-14 ESV)

“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” (1 John 5:20 ESV)

“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Rom. 10:9 ESV)

“But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:13 NIV)

If we focus on all the scary and alarming things happening around the world instead of the Word of God, it could cause us to lose heart. But, we do have the Word of God to encourage us and to tell us about the wonderful plans He has for us.

God has a great future planned!

God is going to create a new heaven and new earth for us! We are temporary here and have a great future to look forward to!

“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (Jer. 29:11)

Therefore…

“But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.” (1 Cor. 2:9 ESV)

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” (Phil. 3:20-21 ESV)

Quotes:

“Leave the broken, irreversible past in God's hands, and step out into the invincible future with Him.” - Oswald Chambers

“Through salvation our past has been forgiven, our present is given meaning, and out future is secured.” - Rick Warren

“Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.” (Proverbs 16:20 NIV)

The Bible is the best instruction book and it covers everything needed to prosper in any situation!

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Prov. 3:5-6)

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jer. 17:7-8)

Whoever trust in the Lord is kept safe!

“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” (Prov. 29:25)

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” (Psalm 91:1-2)

Therefore…

“The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered.” (Prov. 11:25

As your soul prospers 

“Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.” (3 John 1:2) 

Quotes:

“If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper. I make it a practice to read the Bible through once every year.” - Daniel Webster

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matt. 5:6 NIV)

To be “hungry” or “thirsty” means having a strong desire or craving. That is the kind of desire you must have about gaining righteousness.

What is Righteousness?

Dictionaries define righteousness as “behavior that is morally justifiable or right.” Such behavior is characterized by accepted standards of morality, justice, virtue, or uprightness.

The Bible’s definition of Righteousness

According to Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, “God the Father is righteous (just); Jesus Christ his Son is the Righteous (Just) One; the Father through the Son and in the Spirit gives the gift of righteousness (justice) to repentant sinners for salvation; such believing sinners are declared righteous (just) by the Father through the Son, are made righteous (just) by the Holy Spirit working in them, and will be wholly righteous (just) in the age to come. They are and will be righteous because they are in a covenant relation with the living God, who is the God of all grace and mercy and who will bring to completion what he has begun in them by declaring them righteous for Christ’s sake.”

The Bible describes the righteous person as just or right, holding to God and trusting in Him (Psalm 33:18–22).

We all fall short of God’s righteousness!

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23)

The Bible’s standard of human righteousness is God’s own perfection in every attribute, every attitude, every behavior, and every word. Thus, God’s laws, as given in the Bible, both describe His own character and constitute the plumb line by which He measures human righteousness.

You cannot become righteous by your own efforts!

True righteousness is possible for mankind only through the cleansing of sin by Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We have no ability to achieve righteousness in and of ourselves. But Christians possess the righteousness of Christ, because “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor. 5:21)

We are made righteous in the sight of God because of Jesus!

We are accepted as righteous and treated as righteous by God on account of what the Lord Jesus has done for us on the cross. He was made sin; we are “made the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor. 5:21). On the cross, Jesus was treated as if He were a sinner, though He was perfectly holy and pure, and we are treated as if we were righteous, though we are defiled and depraved. On account of what the Lord Jesus has endured on our behalf, we are treated as if we had entirely fulfilled the Law of God and had never become exposed to its penalty. We have received this precious gift of righteousness from the God of all mercy and grace.

Quotes:

“I preached on the righteousness of the law and the righteousness of faith. While I was speaking, several dropped down as dead and among the rest such a cry was heard of sinners groaning for the righteousness of faith that it almost drowned my voice. But many of these soon lifted up their heads with joy and broke out into thanksgiving, being assured they now had the desire of their soul - the forgiveness of their sins.” - John Wesley

“Our righteousness is in Him, and our hope depends, not upon the exercise of grace in us, but upon the fullness of grace and love in Him, and upon His obedience unto death.” - John Newton

“The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.” (Psalm 19:7 NIV)

Don’t be a fool, be wise!

“A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash” (Prov. 15:14 NLT)

Garbage in garbage out!

Some people tell me they can watch or read anything and it doesn’t bother them. That is foolish talk! Just because something doesn’t bother you doesn’t make it acceptable! It only means you have gotten so used to it that it no longer bothers you! It’s like the proverbial frog placed in warm water. If it is heated up quickly, it notices and jumps out. But if it is heated up very slowly, only one degree at a time, it doesn’t notice until it’s too late and it is cooked! When you can watch and read stuff that is profane, blasphemous, evil, vile, and abusive, and it doesn’t bother you, you have a problem. You have become a fool.

Whatever you put in your brain is what you become (or are)! 

You have a choice to make regarding what you allow to go into your head. You can put in trash or you can put in truth. The Bible says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Prov. 23:7)

The place you need to go to fill your mind with truth is God’s Word. Proverbs 2:6 says, “It is the Lord who gives wisdom; from him come knowledge and understanding.”

Therefore…

 “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Cor10:5)

Quote:

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” - Aristotle

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” (Acts 17:24-25 NIV)

God does not live in temples built by human hands

As I travel often in my line of work, I observe many types of buildings and structures built to serve God. Many are awe inspiring and breathtakingly beautiful. And, although they are places where you can go to worship God, none of them are where God actually lives. He does not live in temples built by human hands!

God dwells in the human heart!

“Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16)

“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Eze. 36:26)

“The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Rom. 5:5)

You have God in your heart because you have invited Him there!

“Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” (Eph. 3:17)

“To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matt. 11:29 NIV)

Needed rest for your soul

A yoke is a wooden crosspiece that is fastened over the necks of two animals and attached to the plow or cart that they are to pull. In the above passage Jesus is talking about how you can come to Him when you are weary and burdened through many kinds of bondages and He will help bear your load and will provide needed rest to your soul.

 The requirements of the Law are beyond our capacity

In other passages the Paul and Peter talk about the yoke of bondage that the Law brings, the yoke that no one can carry. 

“Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear?” (Acts 15:10)

With Jesus, the yoke is light for those who come to Him, because of what He has done for us on the cross

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30)

It all comes down to this

“If the Son therefore shall set you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

Therefore…

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Gal. 5:1)

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“And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.” (Col. 1:21-22 NIV)

Problem/solution

The above passage starts with a problem but ends with an over the top, amazing, almost too good to be true, solution!

• The problem

Sin is the problem! The Bible says that “none are righteous,” (Rom. 3:10); that all of us have “sinned and come short” of God’s standard of righteousness (Rom. 3:23); and, because of our sin, we are hopelessly alienated from Him (Isa. 59:2).

• The solution

The solution to the sin problem is what the Bible calls “the gospel”, which literally means “good news,” and it’s that Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sin and to “bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Our promise verse at the top says, “He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.” Now, THAT is why it’s rightfully called the “good news.”

You must receive God’s gift personally

Even though Jesus has done all the work on the cross to reconcile you to God, you must personally believe and receive His wonderful free gift for yourself. The Bible says it this way, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12). Another verse says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Rom. 10:9)

Praying “The Sinner’s Prayer”

The “Sinner’s Prayer” is a term that describes the words spoken by a person when he or she has recognized their sin and their need for a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It goes something like this:

“Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

I prayed a similar prayer as the one above 50 plus years ago and Jesus has truly changed my life. I know he will change yours, too!

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“Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1 Cor. 1:10 NIV)

A well-known and often used battle strategy is to divide up groups so they cannot use combined strength and resources. When divided, they become weak, vulnerable, and easily conquered. Jesus spoke about this in the gospel of Mark. He said, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”  (Mark 3:24-25)

Satan uses this “divide them” strategy often to weaken both the church and the family

• To weaken the church

God’s Kingdom – “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.” (Jesus) – notice how divided God’s church has become. Instead of working together as a powerful group, the church is divided into smaller weak groups and factions called denominations and other names meaning the same thing. It’s not unusual to find many churches in each city or community, some even next to each other but operating independently of each other, not together! Separated by a point of doctrine, their traditions, or difference of opinion on a myriad of other things. They are held together more by their traditions and doctrines than by the Word of God, thus making the word of God noneffective for them.

“Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.” (Mark 7:13 KJV)

• To weaken marriages & families

The home, or house, the family structure. “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” (Jesus) – marriages and the family structure has changed dramatically over the years. We used to be a country made up of small farms and close knit church-attending families, but we have changed!

Get into agreement so that God can work in your life

“Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, ‘I am of Paul,’ and ‘I of Apollos,’ and ‘I of Cephas,’ and ‘I of Christ.’ Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Cor. 1:10-13 NASB)

“Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. ‘For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.'” (Matt. 18:19-20)

“Being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Eph. 4:3)

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